Nunziata Maiella (24 Oct 1927 - 28 Oct 2023)

In loving memory of Nunziata Maiella who sadly passed away on 28th October 2023.
Born in Accettura in Italy in 1927 Nunziata (Nancy) came to the United Kingdom at the age of 27 in 1955. She originally intended to come over simply to visit with the possibility of finding some work if things worked out. As things turned out one of her friends over here had passed her photo on to a young Neapolitan gent who was already living here and he had taken a shine to her. The two started to write to each other as friends - and from the moment Nunziata met Giuseppe (Joe) on the platform at Midlands Station on a cold and foggy February night- she knew that he was the man for her and vice versa - it was love at first sight.

Soon after her arrival the two of them were married living in Clifton with family friends until they found their feet. They moved to Alfred Street South where they lived for the first few years and started a family, first a baby girl, followed by two baby boys. After the birth of their third child they looked for a bigger home and eventually moved to West Bridgford where the fourth and last child was born.

Their home was always a place in which people felt welcome and never judged, Nancy and Joe were well loved and loved in return appreciating how lucky they were to have found each other and to be in the situation they were in.

Nancy and Joe worked where they could, raising a family was not easy nor cheap and back in the day, there was no benefit system to fall back on. They took on whatever work they could making ends meet and moving their family forward. Nancy worked at for Notts County Council, cleaning, making school dinners and tea runs whilst Jo worked in Boots at Beeston they were never rich but ensured the family never lacked for anything.

By the late 1970's Nancy was retired through ill health, but she soldiered on keeping busy and by the early 1980's she relished her Grandmotherly duties which gave her renewed vigour and a something new to live for.

Nancy and Joe enjoyed retirement with an active social life, travelling when they could but always putting the family first. By the 1990's there were five Grandchildren and they often looked back saying ' Who'd have thought all those years ago we would have been so lucky?' She had close bonds with all of her Grandchildren and let them get away with murder - and she loved it. They would often have a sing and a little dance, they would play cards for hours as well as Jenga or they would spend the afternoon making pasta and pizza - she had found new joys and made the most of them. It was now her time to relax and not have to worry, her days of stress were over.

Then, in the January of 1997 Nancy and Joe were on their way out when Joe suffered a massive heart attack - leaving Nancy on her own.

The loss of her one and only love devastated her and it took a very long time for her to find a new way of living, She was surrounded by family and soldiered on as the matriarch taking the helm alone.

Nancy continued to live a happy existence with friends and family along side her, and although her health faltered every now and then she was not one to complain never giving in to the obstacles in her way.
Things ran smoothly for her until one day back in 2014 she was given the unfathomable news that she had the early signs of dementia.
She was beside herself - the only thing she had ever feared had come to being.

Over the last ten years or so, she lived with the condition slowly fading a little each day. Every now and then the illness would take a grip reminding us all that it was there but she still managed to laugh and smile her way through the days. Then in 2019 things started to develop more quickly - she struggled through the lockdowns of 2020 and couldn't understand why she was kept away from the majority of her family and friends.

The decline became ever more rapid and this year things became very hard for her when she no longer knew who her family members were, where she was and where Joe had gone. In her head she was back in her home Village of Accettura waiting for her parents to come home at the end of the day.

By mid October she had forgotten how to speak English and it became apparent that the time left was limited.
After 10 days of being in pain and discomfort she passed on the 28th of October at home surrounded by her family finding peace and eventually being reunited with the family and home she so missed.

During her time on earth Nancy was a positive spirit, always there for others and always available to help wherever needed. She was much loved and always had time for anyone in need.

Her loss is felt through every second of every minute and we - her family still cant believe our guiding light has left us. We are left in the knowledge that she is in a better place,
No more fighting, no more illness, no more pain - just peace.

We love you dearly and cant put in to words how much we owe to you and adore you. You struggled so that we didn't have to and we will be eternally grateful.

Here's until we meet again

Sleep tight Mamma, all our love

The Maiella Family.